He shook his head. “Not in the least. I don’t think anyone can truly relax in their own home.”
“I think ninety-nine percent of the population would disagree with you there,” she argued, cocking her head to the side.
“Well, ninety-nine percent of the population doesn’t live in my home, then,” he said, his eyes growing dark as he stared at her. She knew then that he had a secret—maybe more than one. She leaned closer without thought, as if she were trying to read his thoughts. He stared at her, unblinking, as if he were daring her to try.
“You guys okay?” Collette asked, interrupting her thoughts.
She pulled back, looking down as her face flushed beet red. “Yeah, fine.”
“Yep,” Jason said. “I’m actually going to head out. My wife will be home any minute. Do you need a ride, Harper?” he asked, touching her shoulder.
She tucked her head over on his hand. “No, thank you. I’ll be fine.” It was polite. Formal. Go home. She was doing the right thing. The bar was dimly lit, she had alcohol in her system. That was the only reason for the sudden tension she felt around him. Tomorrow she’d be back to normal. Everything would be fine, then.
“All right. I’ll see you around. Nice to meet you,” he said, walking past their table. As he reached the counter, sliding a card to the bartender to pay his tab, he looked back over his shoulder. Their eyes met once again, the heat between them still alive even from several feet away.
Yep, it would definitely be fine tomorrow.
Six
Bryant
Bryant sealed the last of the lasagna into the large Tupperware dish, slipping it into the refrigerator quickly before grabbing a beer. He checked the time. It was nearly seven. Surely she’d be home soon.
He wasn’t the type of guy to be clingy. He knew it was healthy for Harper to have her own space, but that didn’t mean he didn’t miss her when she was gone. Especially now, in a new place with no one around. Until the school year started in two weeks, he spent his days unpacking and surfing the internet. The cable and internet were supposed to be hooked up soon, but until that happened he was relying solely on his phone and DVDs, some of which were still packed up, for entertainment. At this point, even his old Lost DVDs were getting boring.
He heard footsteps approaching the door and smiled, taking another sip of his beer and expecting to hear the door open. Instead, he heard a quiet knock. He peered around the corner, watching the door, but without the porch light on he couldn’t make out who could be standing there. He set his beer on the counter, walking toward the door cautiously, and flipped on the switch. In the beveled glass, he could see a tall, thin, blonde outline. Tori.
He pulled the door open quickly, wondering what on earth she could be doing here so late. “Tori?”
“Hey, Bryant, sorry. I know it’s late. Do you…do you mind if I come in?”
He stepped back, his mouth suddenly feeling like cotton. “S-sure. What’s up?” he asked. She was dressed in a skintight red dress that left little to the imagination, her hair tied in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. “Sorry. I just got home from work, and Jay isn’t home. I guess I lost my key somewhere. I just texted him to ask him to come home and let me in. And, well, I was going to sit in my car, but I figured…I could come over and visit you and Harper, if that’s okay?”
“Oh, uh, sure. Yeah. Well, Harper’s out with friends right now,” he said, swallowing hard. “But you’re welcome to hang out.” He ran his hands through his hair nervously. “Do you want a beer or something?”
“No, I wouldn’t want to trouble you.”
“It’s no trouble,” he assured her. “We’ve got white wine, too.”
“Is the beer light?” she asked. “I know, it’s stupid, but I’m trying to lose a few pounds.” She ran a hand over her tiny waist, her hand moving slowly from hip to hip as if trying to hypnotize him. He looked back up, staring into the kitchen and trying to think of something, anything, other than the low-cut neckline on her dress.
“I don’t think so. Sorry.”
“White wine will be fine, then,” she said, taking a step toward the kitchen. “In here?”
He nodded, following her as she led the way through his own house. When they reached the cabinets, he pulled a glass down and filled it a little less than halfway. “It’s probably not the kind you like.”
She took a sip, her red lips leaving a slight ring around the rim of the glass. “Why do you say that?” she asked, her voice low in her throat.
“Well, I mean, it’s not, expensive, or whatever,” he said softly, stammering over his words.
“Do you think I’m a snob or something?”
He shook his head. “No, of course not. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that offensively.”
“Relax, baby,” she told him with a small laugh. She winked, giving him a sultry pout as her free hand traced her neckline absentmindedly. “We’re all friends here.”
He picked up his beer, taking another drink. “How long do you think Jason will be?” he asked, staring out the window to avoid looking at his guest.
“Oh, he should be home any minute,” she said, glancing at her watch. She swallowed the glass of wine quickly, licking her lips and handing it back. Their hands touched briefly as she passed it over, and lightning shot through him at her touch. He turned to the sink, setting the glass in it as her phone beeped.
He felt a hand touch his back, and suddenly her voice was next to his ear. “That’s him. Thanks for…taking care of me tonight. I owe you one.”
“Anytime.” He closed his eyes, staring at her lip print on the glass and listening as her heels clicked slowly across the floor before he heard the door shut. He could still feel her hand on his back, her long nails dragging a slow trail across his skin. He bit his lip, trying to ignore the swelling in his pants. Trying to think of anything besides those red lips, the plunging neckline, her swaying hips. God, what was it about that woman? What was she doing to him?
Without thinking, without allowing himself to think too much about how pathetic he was, he lifted the wine glass from the sink, placing his lips over her lip print and tipping the glass up so the last remaining drop of wine slipped into his mouth.
Seven
Harper
When Harper got home that night, Bryant was already in bed. She tiptoed across the bedroom, sliding out of her scrubs carefully. She noticed the wadded up hand towel on the floor next to the bed, picking it up and tossing it into the hamper.
Guess you got impatient waiting for me.
She grabbed her pajamas from the window seat, throwing them on and walking toward the dresser, then picked up her hairbrush and ran it through her tangled hair.
When she was done, she took off her wedding ring, sliding under the covers and across the bed. He stirred, sucking in a deep breath through his nose and looking at her with one eye open.
“Hey,” he said, his voice soft. He looked at the clock on the wall. “You’re home late.”
“Yeah,” she said, running a hand across his chest. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he told her, pressing his dry lips to hers. “You have fun?”
She nodded. “I did, yeah. How was your day?”
“It was good,” he said simply, staring at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He shook his head, running a hand over his face.
“You sure?”
“Mhm.”
“Hey, you’ll never guess who I ran into tonight.” On the way home, she’d contemplated whether or not to tell him. It wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t want to make it seem like a big deal, but she also didn’t want him to hear about it from Jason and worry she’d been trying to hide it. So, she would tell him. And she would make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal.
Because it wasn’t.
“Who?” he asked, rolling over so that he was facing her.
“Jason. From next door.”
“What? He was at the hospit
al?”
“No, the bar,” she said, trying to read his expression in the moonlight.
“Weird,” he said, staring at the wall with a strange expression. “Did he recognize you?”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “He came over to say hello.” She twisted her mouth. “Tori wasn’t with him.”
He swallowed. “Hmm.”
“It wasn’t a big deal, though,” she said, kissing him again.
“I didn’t say it was,” he responded, his voice tense.
“You aren’t mad at me, are you? I mean, it’s not like I knew he’d be there. I was out with my friends from work. I wouldn’t have even said anything to him, but he came over and said hello. It was super brief.”
“Woah, I’m not mad,” he told her, squeezing her hand. “Unless I have a reason to be?”
“No. You don’t.”
He nodded, pulling her onto his chest. “Okay then.”
She ran a finger through the hair on his chest. “Did you miss me today?”
“I did. I really, really did,” he said. She smiled half-heartedly, though he couldn’t see her face. Her mind was drifting elsewhere, but she couldn’t help noticing how distant his voice sounded.
The next morning, Harper sat at her desk sipping on her mug of coffee while it was still too hot. She was exhausted. She’d spent most of the night tossing and turning, waiting for a reluctant sleep to finally take her.
“What’s up, girl?” Collette asked, sliding her chair over to take the station next to her.
“Hey,” she said, smiling sleepily at her.
“I had a lot of fun last night. I’m glad you could come.”
“Yeah, thanks. I did, too.”
“Sam’s is pretty cool, huh?”
“Yeah, it was all right.”
“So, what’s the deal with that guy?” she asked, cutting straight to the chase. Harper had been waiting for the conversation to inevitably steer that way.
“Jason?” She furrowed her brow as if she were confused.
“Of course Jason. He’s really married?”
“Yes, he is.” The answer came from in front of them, a patient who’d approached Harper’s window. She looked up, recognizing the voice but unable to place it until she saw her face.
“Tori, hi,” she said, standing up instantly as if she were the damn Queen of England.
Tori’s cool glare locked with Collette’s. “To answer your question, again, yes, Jason is married. To me.”
Collette’s chair slid away from her, leaving Harper alone. “Nice to meet you,” she mumbled when she was further away.
After a moment, Tori’s icy, blue-green eyes fell onto Harper once again. “Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
The change in tone was almost scary—her irritated inflection gone, replaced with a friendly smile and cheery stance.
“No, it’s fine. Um, is everything okay?” She bit her lip, wondering what, if anything, Jason had told her about the night before. Not that there was anything to tell.
“Yeah, of course. I just wanted to stop by. What time do you get off? Four?”
“Mhm,” she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
“Great. Do you want to go to the gym with me after work? I’m the worst about going, so I figured having an accountability partner could help.”
“Oh, I don’t know…” she said, trying to think of a reason, any reason, to say no.
“Please,” she stuck out her bottom lip into a pout, “it would really mean a lot to me. I could use a friend who’s actually genuine. I feel like we really clicked the other night, don’t you?”
She nodded, swallowing. “Yeah, okay. Sure.”
Tori squealed, her blonde hair shaking as she lifted up to the balls of her feet in excitement. “Great. I’ll come by and we can ride together.” She grabbed Harper’s hand from the counter, squeezing it carefully. “See you then.” With that, she turned, hurrying out of the lobby.
When Harper spun around, every eye in the room was following her friend.
“Who was that?” James asked.
“And can she please have my babies?” Devon asked, his face ashen, eyes wide.
“Please. Didn’t you hear her? She’s married to Jason, the guy from last night,” Collette told him hatefully. “Besides, she’s a surgeon. I’ve seen her working here before, so fat chance she’d want either of you.”
“Not when she’s got Jason. The two of them? Mmm, now, those would be some beautiful babies,” Miranda mused before answering the phone.
“Are you friends with her?” Savannah asked, seeming as shocked as Harper felt.
“No,” she answered too quickly. “I mean, I don’t know. We’re…neighbors.”
“Two questions,” James said, sliding down so that he was hanging off the back of Harper’s chair. “Does she leave her bedroom windows open? And, can I move in with you?”
“Yeah, there’s no way I’d let my husband look at her every day,” Collette agreed. “I’d be moving.”
“You guys are being ridiculous,” Harper said, though her throat had gone dry. “She’s just a person.” She shifted in her seat, trying not to let them see that they’d spoken to her deepest fears.
“Then again, if the bedroom windows are open, I guess you’d have a pretty nice view, too, huh? Hubs is damn god-like himself,” Savannah cooed.
“Oh, you think? I hadn’t really noticed,” Harper said stiffly, picking up the phone as soon as it began to ring.
Eight
Bryant
Bryant smashed the last box, shoving it into the trash bins in the garage. Was it guilt that had caused him to work so hard today? Possibly. But did it matter? It wasn’t like anything had really happened. So what, Tori had come over. Jason had seen Harper out and they’d talked, too. It was the same thing.
So, why had he chickened out in telling her? Was it because he knew she’d seen the evidence of what Tori had caused him to do? His towel was picked up this morning, and though he hadn’t known she’d seen it for sure last night, he had his assumptions.
But, she’d never know it was Tori he was thinking about. What was more embarrassing was the wine glass. Pathetic, more like it. Touching his lips where hers had been like he was a teenager kissing a poster of Britney Spears.
If anyone ever found out, he’d be mortified. It was awful. The kind of power the woman had over him was insane. It wasn’t like he’d never seen another beautiful woman. But there was something special about Tori. Sultry. Seductive. The way her eyes locked onto his, it was like she knew a secret…and hell, for all he knew she did. She could probably see the dirty thoughts racing through his mind the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
But he wasn’t a cheater. He loved Harper. More than anything. He’d meant his wedding vows, and he wasn’t going to end up like his parents, divorced after a lavish affair.
Not that that could happen. Women like Tori didn’t want men like him.
No—shit. It wouldn’t happen because he was married. They were both married, and that’s what mattered.
He walked back through the living room and into the office, sitting down at the desk and preparing to check some emails. The school had been sending him pieces of his welcome packet, and there were a few left unopened.
He sank into the worn, leather office chair and tapped the mouse to get the screen to light up. He glanced—it was only a glance—out the window toward her house, and froze.
There, laying out beside the pool, was Tori. She was enclosed in the white fence that surrounded the house, but from his second story window, he had a perfect view. And what a view it was. The woman was completely topless, her brown, perfect nipples like little targets for his eyes. Her breasts were larger than he’d realized, and incredibly perky. She’d had them done, it was obvious. He’d never been much of a fake breast guy, but at the moment, it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
Her tiny, blue bikini bottoms were the only thing stopping him from seeing every i
nch of her. She ran a hand down her thigh slowly, soaking up the sun. Her skin was porcelain, he’d never have guessed she spent much time by the pool, but she seemed quite comfortable there by the sparkling, blue water. She wore a hat, so he couldn’t see her face, other than the side of her cheek and a bit of blonde hair, but somehow he knew…she wanted him to watch.
Nine
Harper
Tori showed up just before four to pick her up, clad in workout gear with a blonde ponytail high on the top of her head.
“You ready to go?” she asked.
“I’m ready,” Harper answered, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “I’m not sure where your gym is, but we’re going to have to swing by somewhere where I can pick up a workout outfit. I’m not sure scrubs will be the best thing.”
“Don’t be silly,” Tori told her, waving her hand as they walked out of the lobby. “I brought you an outfit.”
“Oh, I don’t know if yours will fit me.” Tori was several inches taller, and her chest was at least a cup size larger than Harper’s. Harper was sure anything that Tori had would fit awkwardly on her at best.
“Sure it will. Spandex is a godsend, after all. Come on, you can ride with me.” She waved her keys in the air for emphasis and pressed a button making the blue SUV’s lights flash. Harper grimaced, climbing into the car.
“So, you didn’t work today?” she asked, making small talk as they pulled out of the parking lot.
Tori shook her head, her blonde hair swinging back and forth over her shoulders. “I take Thursdays as a personal day every week. It helps me focus. That way I avoid that midweek lull and come back refreshed to finish out the week. My staff can handle the minor stuff, and we schedule all of that on my day off. That way my patients get the best of me, and I’m never too drained to give them the best care.”
The Good Neighbors Page 3